Straight line adjustable diffuser



Jan- 3, 1967 c. w. PALMQUls-r STRAIGHT LINVEVADJUSTABLE DIFFUSER Filed May 28, 1964 INVENTOR. CARL W. PALMQUIST ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,295,432 STRAIGHT LINE ADJUSTABLE DIFFUSER Carl W. Palmquist, Clarks Summit, Pa., assigner to Dynamics Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,918 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention relates to devices for delivering ventilating air to a room or other enclosure and has as its general object, the provision of a `device for controlling the direction of ow :of Ventilating air as it enters the room.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character, which device is capable of being mounted in an elongated ceiling opening either by itself or end to end with another such device.

Still yanother object of the present invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character, which device is capable of being mounted in a Ventilating air supply duct either by itself or end to end with -another such device.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a device which will permit the pattern of air emanating from a Ventilating air distribution system to be selectively varied between either of two horizontal directions through some 180 whereby the air can be given any desired vertical component of vel-ocity.

The drawing shows preferred embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be -understood that various changes may be made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. l is a vertical transverse section through an air delivery device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device of FIG. l with one side wall thereof partially broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse section through an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, FIG. l shows an elongated device for delivering air to a room or other enclosure. As shown, the device 10 is mounted in an opening 12 defined in the rooms ceiling which is indicated generally at 14. The ceiling 14 may be of the false or hung variety in which case the device show-n can be used to help support the ceiling in a manner to be described, or alternatively, the ceiling could be supported by other means and the device of the present invention mounted in and supported by the false ceiling itself.

As shown, the device 10 is received in an elongated air supply duct 16, which duct is of inverted U-shape in cross section and has inwardly turned flanges or hems 18, 18 along its marginal edges for a purpose to be set forth below.

The device 1l! may be of any desired length and several devices of similar construction can be readily joined endto-end and connected by sh-ort alignment strips (not shown) received in channel shaped openings 20, 20 provided for that purpose on either side of the device 10. As shown in FIG. l, the device 10 comprises left and right hand longitudinally extending side walls, 22 and 24 respectively. The side walls, 22 and 24 closely engage a-nd are thus sealingly connected to the lower flanged edges 18, 18 of the duct 16 as indicated generally at 26, 26. The openings 26, 20 for aligning and connecting a plurality of devices end to end, are defined adjacent the lower portions of the side walls 22 and 24.

Means are shown for supporting the side walls, 22 and 24 in laterally spaced relationship so that the device can lCC be entered in the elongated ceiling opening 12. As shown, said means comprise a plurality of stays 28 (one shown) riveted to the side walls as indicated generally at 30, 30. The strays 28, 2S are spaced at appropriate intervals along the device 10 and each of these stays has `a horizontally extending flange 32 which deiines a hole for receiving a bolt 34 adapted to be inserted upwardly through the stay ilange 32 and through an aligned opening in a U-shaped mounting bracket 36. A speed nut 38 is attached to the mounting bracket 36 and threadably receives the bolt 34. As so constructed, the device 10 is secu-rely held in the duct 16, the mounting bracket 36 having the ends of its legs 37, 37 nested in the inturned flanges or hems 18, 18 provided therefor in the duct 16.

Upper portions, 43 and 44 of the side walls22 and 24 respectively, are adapted to receive an :air turning vane assembly 40 which will be seen to extend upwardly into the duct 16 and as so located serves to turn the Ventilating air from its path `along the duct generally downwardly between the walls 22 and 24 of the device 10. This assembly 40 will not be described in detail since it does not comprise an essential part of the present invention.

Lower portions, 46 and 48, of the side walls 22 and 24 respectively, define horizontal flanges, 50 and 52 respectively, which extend along the entire length of the device and serve to deflect the air away from the vertical direction imparted thereto by the vane assembly 40 towards a generally horizontal direction as indicated by the arrow 54.

The air deiiecting flanges, 50 and S2, extend laterally inwardly from said lower side wall portions, 46 and 48 respectively. Oppositely :arranged flanges 56 and 58 on these lower side wall portions, 46 and 48 respectively serve to support the adjacent ceiling tiles indicated generally .at 14 in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the herein described device can be used with an exposed air supply duct of the type normally employed when the false or hung ceiling construction is not used. In such event, the anges, 56 and 58 might engage the periphery of the duct itself.

An elongated member 60 is supported in laterally spaced relation to the left hand side wall 22 and a lower portion 62 thereof defines a first air discharge slot 63 in conjunction with the air deiiecting flange 50. A second air discharge slot 65 is dened adjacent said first slot and is symmetrically arranged with respect to said rst slot in 'the FIG. l embodiment. As shown, the means defining said second slot comprises the lower portion 62 of said member 60 which is spaced from the lower portion 52 of said right hand side wall 24.

As shown, the elongated member 60 is releasably retained in a slot 64 provided therefor in each stay 28. A spring clip 66 retained in each slot 64 serves to retain the member 60 therein and to urge the same against one side of the slot, in which position the rner'nber 60 is centered with respect to the side walls, 22 Iand 24. As so constructed, the lower portion 62 Yof member 60 provides symmetrically arranged passageways which are directed angularly toward one `another for a purpose to be discussed hereinbelow.

More particularly, the lower portion 62 of the elongated member 60 is symmetrical about a vertical plane passing through its center and defines outwardly and upwardly extending leg portions 68, 68 which define one side of the said passageways as aforesaid. Each of these leg portions 68 defines a socket 70 in the upper end thereof for pivotally supporting an elongated v-ane 72. Each vane 7?. is pivotally supported in its associated socket 70 for movement between open and closed positions whereby the iiow of air out of each of said slots and through said passageways can be independently varied with predictable effect upon the pattern and volume of air discharged from the device.

The advantages of the above described device can best be seen by a brief description of its operation. It will be apparent that in the form shown in FIG. 1, with the right hand slot closed and the left hand slot opened, the pattern of discharged air will be one in which most of the air has a substantial horizontal component in the right hand direction as indicated by the arrow 54. It will also be apparent that reversing the vane positions will permit the pattern of discharged air to be reversed giving the air a substantial horizontal component of velocity in the left hand direction. In order to so move the vanes 72, 72, a harblike protrusion 74 is provided on the lowerside of each vane whereat it is readily engageable with a suitably designed tool (not shown) inserted in one of the slots by a workman positioned below the ceiling 14. Springs 75, 75 hold the vanes in selected positions.

In order to impart a downward component of velocity to the discharged air both slots can be opened, with one slot being opened more or less than the other depending upon whether the pattern of discharged air is to be deflected angularly downwardly between the vertical and horizontal toward the left or the right. The air discharged from the slots can be directed vertically ldownwardly by simply positioning the vanes 72, 72 in a symmetrical fashion with each slot having a similar size opening and a similar shaped passageway. As so arranged, the right hand component of velocity imparted to the air emanating from the left h-and slot will cancel the left hand component of velocity imparted to the air emanating from the right hand slot with the net result that only the vertical component of velocity will survive and the resulting air pattern will be one in which the air moves generally downwardly into the space to be ventilated. It should be noted that various degrees of opening or closing of these vanes will also produce corresponding increases or decreases in the volume of air passing through the device so that these vanes not only permit the direction of the discharged air to be controlled but also the quantity thereof.

Turning now to the construction shown in FIG. 3, the device there shown will be seen to comprise two adjacent `devices such as that previously shown and described with reference to FIG. 1 and similar parts are therefor designated by similar reference numerals.

The FIG. 3 device, indicated generally at 76, is adapted for use with a duct 78 of somewhat greater width than that shown in FIG. 1 but the side walls 22 and 24 are similarly attached to this duct'and the lower portions thereof, 46 and 48, are adapted to support a false or hung ceiling as described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 1.

A mounting bracket 80 supports the device 76 in the duct 78 and its construction is generally similar to the previously described bracket 36 except that it is wider so as to be received in the wider duct 78.

A series of stays 82 (one shown) are spaced at intervals along the device 76 in the same manner as the stays 28, 28 described above. The stays 82, 82 are of approximately twice the width of the stays 28,l 28 and define three slots 84, 84 one of which is centered therein for a purpose to be discussed. The other two slots 84, 84' are similar to the slot 64 in stay 28 and support two vane supporting members 60, 60 which are identical to those described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 1. Two pairs of vanes 72, 72 are pivotally supported in the lower portions 62, 62 of the members 60, 60 and these are manually movable from below the device 76 by a suitable tool (not shown) which is engageable with the barblike protrusion 74 provided therefor on each of said vanes 72, 72.

Finally, in the third, or center slot 84, an elongated air defiector 86 is provided which air defiector is in laterally spaced relation to each of said vane supporting members 60, 60 so as to define air discharge slots therebetween. The -air defiector 86 is of inverted T-shape in cross section and the lower portion thereof defines two symmetrically arranged horizontal fianges 88, 88 whichy extend laterally outwardly therefrom, said fianges being coplanar with the air defiecting fianges 50 and 52 of the side walls 22 and 24 respectively.

As to operation, it will be apparent that the FIG. 3 device is capable of the same modes of operation .as the FIG. 1 device. Further, the air emanating from one side of the device can be directed in one horizontal direction,

while the air emanating from the other side can be directed Devices leaving means of additional slots and such devices fall within the scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. An air diffuser for controlling the fiow of Ventilating air being discharged into a room, said diffuser comprising longitudinally extending side w-alls defining at least one elongated air fiow channel therebetween, a substantially horizontal air defiecting fiange extending along and projecting laterally inwardly from the lower downstream edge poition of each of said channel defining side walls,`

an elongated vane supporting member disposed between said channel side walls and dividing said channel into first and second air passageways, a lower portion of said nicmber defining outwardly extending Vfirst and second leg portions, said first and second leg portions being located in closely spaced vertical relation to said first and second fianges respectively to define first and second air discharge slots therebetween, and first and second elongated vanes pivotally supported in sockets provided therefor in the upper surfaces of said first and second leg portions respectively for independent movement between vane open positions wherein each vane extends vertically upwardly alongside said member and vane closed positions wherein each vane extends across its associated passageway and said lower portion of said vane supporting member havingk a width which is at least approximately equal to the horizontal spacing between said side wall fianges to screenl said passageway from the View of one looking upwardly into the diffuser.

2. An air diffuser according to claim 1 wherein said vane supporting member has a generally fiat upper stern portion arranged in parallel spaced relation to said side walls, and wherein said lower leg portions of said member extend outwardly and upwardly to define a V`shaped lower portion of said vane supporting member.

3. An air diffuser according to claim 2 wherein each of said vanes has a marginal pivoted edge which is circular in cross section, each of said sockets defined in said leg portions comprising a concave circular segment having an arc of less than and longitudinally spaced springs acting between said fiat stem portion and the upper sides of each of said vanes for retaining said vanes in their respective sockets.

4. An air diffuser according to claim 2 wherein each of said vanes has a marginal pivoted edge which is circular in cross section with the upper side of said vane being generally fiat and tangent to said circular periphery of said pivoted edge, and leaf springs -acting between said fiat stem portion and each of said vanes upper sides for retaining said vanes in their respective sockets defined in the upper surfaces of said lower leg portions of said vane supporting member.

5. A diffuser as set forth in claim 2 wherein said Vanes References Cited by the Examiner in their respective closed positions are so located as to UNITED STATES PATENTS form a continuation of the upwardly 'and outwardly exl tending leg portions of said vane supporting member, 31185069 5/1965 Straub 98-40 and wherein a barb-like protrusion is formed in the under- 5 3,227,063 1/1966 Lambert 98-40 side of each vane adjacent its free marginal edUe to permit said vanes to be individually ladjusted frtm below ROBERT A- OLEARY Prmary Exammer the diffuser between said open and closed positions so JOHN F OCONNOR, Examier that said vanes are etectively hidden from the view of one looking upwardly into the djusen 10 W. E. WAYNER, Asslstant Exammer. 

1. AN AIR DIFFUSER FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF VENTILATING AIR BEING DISCHARGED INTO A ROOM, SAID DIFFUSER COMPISING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE WALLS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED AIR FLOW CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AIR DEFLECTING FLANGE EXTENDING ALONG AND PROJECTING LATERALLY INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER DOWNSTREAM EDGE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID CHANNEL DEFINING SIDE WALLS, AN ELONGATED VANE SUPPORTING MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CHANNEL SIDE WALLS AND DIVIDING SAID CHANNEL INTO FIRST AND SECOND AIR PASSAGEWAYS, A LOWER PORTION OF SAID MEMBER DEFINING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FIRST AND SECOND LEG PORTIONS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEG PORTIONS BEING LOCATED IN CLOSELY SPACED VERTICAL RELATION TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLANGES RESPECTIVELY TO DEFINE FIRST AND SECOND AIR DISCHARGE SLOTS THEREBETWEEN, AND FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED VANES PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN SOCKETS PROVIDED THEREFOR IN THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEG PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY FOR INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT BETWEEN VANE OPEN POSITIONS WHEREIN EACH VANE EXTENDS VERTICALLY UPWARDLY ALONGSIDE SAID MEMBER AND VANE CLOSED POSITIONS WHEREIN EACH VANE EXTENDS ACROSS ITS ACCIATED PASSAGEWAY AND SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID VANE SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING A WIDTH WHICH IS AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE HORIZONTAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALL FLANGES TO SCREEN SAID PASSAGEWAY FROM THE VIEW OF ONE LOOKING UPWARDLY INTO THE DIFFUSER. 